With a win over Forrest Hill, Meridian will clinch third place in the Region 3-6A standings. While making the playoffs will be sweet, especially after such an up and down season, the feeling of a must-win game is nothing new for Meridian. The Wildcats have essentially been in the playoffs all season.

    After losing two of its first three district games, many thought a third loss would kill any chance of a playoff run for the Wildcats. However even after Meridian fell to Petal 21-23 on Oct. 19, the ‘Cats learned they still had hope. Following a 41-0 win over Terry last week, Meridian will look to win back-to-back games for the first time since Sept. 7 when it beat Quitman. Only then will the real playoffs begin.

    “I think our region games have better teams, and our region is like playing in the playoffs,” Meridian head coach Larry Weems said. “Those are teams you will probably have to play when you get in there. We have had a little taste of that.”

    Forrest Hill has struggled this year, only winning two games all season. Despite their record, Weems said his team will have to play focused tonight if they don’t want their season to end at the hands of the Patriots.

    “We will have to play a great team on the road again and beat a quality team,” Weems said. “Forrest Hill has struggled in some close games. They are a very good team. They are scoring points against everybody, even the playoff teams like Brandon and Petal.

    “They have really good athletes, so we are just going to have to limit what they can do on offense. We aren’t going to stop them, because they can score on anybody. We just need to limit them and slow them down.”

    The Wildcat defense has been as unpredictable as the team itself this season. Meridian gave up 54 points to Natchez during its Sept. 21 loss to the Bulldogs, but recently the defense appears to be on the right track, recording its first shutout of the season last week. While the defense lacks experience, younger players on the team look to be coming into their own, which could be a deadly recipe for opponents.

    “I think the defense has been getting better,” Weems said. “We didn’t win against Petal two weeks ago, but the defense played really well in that game. We might not be as gifted over there as we have been in the past, but they made the plays when they had to in the Brandon game and they played well against Petal. They will need to get better, because you need a good defense in the playoffs, and that’s what we hope to do.”

    While the Patriots do not have a playoff game to look forward to, Forrest Hill will look to play spoilers and end the Wildcats hopes once and for all. With so much riding on this game, there isn’t much Weems can tell his team. The Wildcats are pretty used to pressure by now.

    “They know the situation, they have been knowing it for a few weeks now,” Weems said. “It’s our job to go out and get ready to play. I don’t have to beat them over the head with it. They understand what the scenario is, and if we play well enough we will know next week.”